When a tire goes flat the tire is removed from the rim and the hole in the tire or inner tube is located. Sometimes a hole in a tubeless tire does not require removal of the tire from the rim. If a tubeless tire is used, the hole in the tire is rasped and then a plug coated with an adhesive is inserted by a eye repair needle to seal the hole. If a tube is used, a patch coated with an adhesive is placed over the hole in the tube. The tire is then reassembled and re-inflated. If a flat needs to be repaired in a remote area, the tools must be portable and a hand pump must be used instead of an electric air compressor to re-inflate the tire
Vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATV's) use inflated tires that sometimes go flat in remote areas where a tire repair kit would be useful, if not essential. But tire repair tools are large and heavy, and such vehicles either do not have the room for a tire pump and tire repair tools and materials, or the weight for conventional tools and pumps is undesirable. Further, the tools, pump and repair materials are often separated so that one or more needed parts is missing or has become damaged. This is particularly so with the pump because typically a flexible extension hose extends from the base of the pressurizing cylinder. The hose carries the pressurized air from the pump to the tire. The flexible hose is often snagged and cut or abraded. The hose also snags or catches on other items. All these disadvantages make it undesirable to carry such pumps. There is thus a need for a pump avoiding these disadvantages.
Some small hand pumps have been developed for bicycles. But such pumps have a small diameter and short length cylinder to reduce weight, and thus they compress very little air with each actuation of the pump. The low volume pump may be usable for bicycle tires because the tires are small and require little air. But larger tires require much pumping which is very tiring. To make matters worse, a person typically holds one end of these bicycle pumps with one hand and pumps with the other hand, effectively pushing the hands toward each other. This is very tiring, especially compared to normal hand-pumps where one end of the pump rests against the ground and a person's weight can be placed on the pump handle to urge the handle toward the ground and compress the air.
There is thus a need for a more compact, lightweight hand pump and associated means to repair a flat tire.